Inter President Massimo Moratti hailed his side for beating Lazio. “It isn't easy to react with 10 men, but their character overcame fatigue in a show of strength.”

The Nerazzurri looked to be in dire straits when Lazio took a 1-0 lead and Julio Cesar was sent off, but they fought back to win 2-1 and recaptured second place.

“It isn't easy to react with 10 men, but the team gave a great response,” said the patron.

“I thought the players were more tired, which with a Coppa Italia game on Tuesday was entirely understandable, but their character overcame fatigue. This bodes well for the upcoming matches.

“This was a show of strength for many reasons. We saw a confident and intelligent side that never lost their heads or its focus within the game. If Inter won everything for five consecutive years, then this mentality and self-belief is among the reasons.”

Inter leapfrogged Napoli to go back into second place, but are eight points adrift of Serie A leaders Milan.

“If only we hadn't gone through that cursed week then we'd have been in a different position right now,” he said referring to the derby defeat and Champions League exit.

“This proves that losses at this point can weigh heavily on everyone, because this is a difficult campaign. We are unfortunately quite a distance from Milan, but will try to defend our position and see how it ends up.

“The players have given and continue to give their all. I expect and hope not to struggle too much to get into the Champions League.”